What if Joey and Rachel stayed together?
by Friendy Tail
Summary: What would have happened if Joey and Rachel stayed together? What if they didn't break up after they found it awkward? Please don't be that critical about it. It's my first FanFiction and the first chapter only took like two hours because I really wanted to get one up. Thanks :) Hope you enjoy it. Reviews would be greatly appreciated :)
1. Chapter One

_Just re-edited it... Hope you guys like it. Reviews would be appreciated :)_

**What if Joey and Rachel stay together?**

**Chapter One**

**'Surprise'**

She was lying, silent on Joey's black leather armchair staring up at the ceiling blankly, engrossed in a contemplative thought.

"I can't wait until he comes home." she murmured aloud to herself. No-one else was home. There were soft noises coming from the other side of the apartment door. A fumbling of keys and a crash on the floor

"Damn it..." a deep hushed curse came through the door. "Oh. It's open." the voice continued. Rachel perked up, getting ready to get of the chair, knowing that he was home at last. She leapt up and bolted across the apartment. Joey burst through the door with a script in one hand and a can of unopened soda in the other. She greeted him with a warm embrace and nuzzled her head in his neck with affection.

"You're home!" Rachel said, overjoyed.

"Yes. I am..." he replied, confused at why she would say this when it was blatantly obvious that he was home, as he was standing in their apartment. He returned home everyday from work at 5:30pm, always. He'd got a new job three months ago as the main character, Shaun, in Bachelor an upcoming movie, a role he was perfect for as he was known for his one-night-stand bachelor lifestyle. Rachel was always home at 5pm from her job in fashion at Ralph Lauren, always waiting for him, her one and only love to burst through the door.

"I've missed you." she said.

"I've missed you too." he responded. "What do you want to do tonight?" he continued.

"Let's go out!" Rachel said, enthusiastically pushing back from the hug. "Yeah, book a table at the sushi bar while I get ready. Come on!". She kissed him on the lips and rushed away to the bathroom to get ready. It was the perfect night, Emma was at Ross' house. They could finally talk.

Two hours later when Rachel had finally finished getting ready, they had arrived at the restaurant and were promptly being seated at their table.

"Thank you." Rachel said to the waiter courteously. Joey and Rachel took to their seats. They smiled at each other and linked hands at the bar, next to the conveyor belt that the sushi was flowing across.

"Remember when we got together?" a wide smile beamed across Rachel's face.

"Yeah, and Ross couldn't deal with it. He got drunk when me, you and Charlie, Ross' girlfriend at the time, were over his and he made up a poem about love." Rachel replied.

"L is for life. What is life without love? O is for oh wow. V is for this... very surprising turn of events, which I am still fine with by the way. E if for how extremely normal I find it that you two are together." they recited, synchronised. They chuckled.

"It was obvious he was completely fine with it. " Rachel said, smiling still.

"No he wasn't?" Joey replied, confused as normal.

"Sarcasm, cutie..."

"Oh. Well, I mean, we just belong together, you know. Me and you, don't you think?" Joey asked.

"Yeah. Of course."

"And it's been three years now. Ross and Phoebe are together. I just want to ask you something."

"Yes...". Rachel looked at him wondering what he was possibly going to say. She still couldn't believe Ross and Phoebe got together. Still bewildered that they've been married for about a year and had a tiny seven week old baby girl quite aptly named Consuela. She remembered when Phoebe changed her name to Princess Consuela Banana-Hammock and smiled to herself.

Joey got up from his chair. This brought her back to reality. 'What was he doing?' she thought.

"Will you, Rachel Green, do me the honour of marrying you?" Joey said, nervously waiting for the answer, knelt down on one knee. Rachel stared at him dumbfounded, shocked that he, Joey, the king of the bachelors, would actually want to get married.

"YES!" she screamed joyfully leaping out of her chair sending it flying backwards toward the table behind. She reached up and threw her arms around Joey's neck and clutched him in a loving embrace.

They continued their meal in ecstasy, enthralled that they were engaged. Who could ever have seen the day when Joey could have ever been engaged, let alone be in a long term relationship.

"I've got something for you." Rachel said after taking another bite of her unagi.

"Yeah?" Joey looked into her eyes, inquisitively. Rachel took a box, wrapped in a small burgundy bow, out of her handbag and slid it across the table to her new fiancé. Joey tentatively opened the lid of the box and took out the item inside.

"A pregnancy test?" he questioned.

"Yes."

"Positive?" he replied.

"Yes." Joey looked at Rachel and a wide smile of overwhelming joy spread across his face, and Rachel did the same.


	2. Chapter Two

_Sorry it's so late. I've been really busy. _

_This Chapter is for Sophie..._

_Thank you David for the suggestion, I thought it would be an interesting thing to do._

_The basic idea is from what's happened the other day to my Mum's friend but much more exaggerated. Hope you enjoy it! _

**Chapter Two**

**'Tragedy'**

**Eight Months Later...**

Rachel was relaxed upon the luxurious cobalt armchairs in her and Joey's favourite restaurant. She was lounged back trying to grasp even a mere fraction of comfort. Her ankles were swollen and enlarged after standing up all day rushing about to try and clean the apartment before the baby comes in a few weeks. This trait originated from Monica who sterilised her apartment before Phoebes brother's triplets were born and again before her twins came. She snuggled back into the chair waiting for Joey to arrive and comfort her with his soothing deep voice. She couldn't wait to nuzzle into his warm chest and stay there cherishing his presence.

She had been waiting for a while when she felt a light buzz against her leg. It was her phone gently humming. She retrieved it from her purse and gazed down. She didn't have this persons' number in her contacts.  
>"Hello?" she said apprehensively.<br>"Hello madam. Is this Rachel Greene?" an unfamiliar voice echoed.  
>"Yes... Why?"<br>"We have you down here as Mr Joseph Tribianni's emergency contact." the voice responded robotically.  
>"I guess I could be. Why? Oh my god, what's happened?" she felt her body tighten and she began to perspire.<br>"If you could please come into the hospital right away please, Ma'am. I would not like to disclose such information over the phone."  
>"I'll be right there." Rachel sat still, mute, for a moment trying to compose herself and let the information sink in. She gathered her feelings and decided she should call the guys first. They'd need to know. She dialled Monica's number. She waited for someone to pick up, still not believing what she'd just heard.<br>"Hello?" Monica's reassuring voice chimed out of nowhere.  
>"Mon, is Chandler with you?" she inquired.<br>"Yes, why?" Monica replied.  
>"Put me on speaker-phone please." she said shaking profusely while walking out of the restaurant.<br>"OK, you're on speaker now Rach, what's up?"  
>"You both need to hear this... It's Joey. I got a call from the hospital. Please come soon, I don't know what's going to happen or what happened to him. I'm just about to get in a taxi. Call Phoebe and Ross..." she ended while flagging down a taxi.<p>

Rachel rushed through the doors of the hospital after hurriedly paying the taxi driver and probably giving him an extraordinarily large tip.  
>"Hi." she waddled like an overweight penguin to the reception desk as fast as an eight month pregnant woman can. "My fiancée, Joey Tribianni's here. I don't know what happened. I got a phone call." she continued.<br>"Ah, Rachel Greene. You're his emergency contact. Please wait here while I get the doctor." the woman at the front desk replied half-heartedly. Rachel was panicking. Her chest felt tight and she was gently swaying side to side with dizziness. She grabbed a hold of the desk to try to control herself and regain her balance. The broad woman toddled back towards her and ushered the doctor to her.  
>"I'm terribly sorry," the doctor started. This sentence got Rachel's heart hammering in her chest harder. "Your fiancée has been in a terrible accident. He's stable but there's pressure in the brain so we've put him in an induced coma. I'm sorry, Ms Greene." he finished. Rachel's legs ceased to work and she collapsed to the floor.<p>

She was being roused by smelling salts which brought her back down to earth. The doctor lifted her up off the floor and onto the nearest chair so she could calm down. The memories of what had been said all flooded back to her brain.  
>"What's going to happen to him?" she asked in a vulnerable manner like a deer who had just lost its mother.<br>"He will be all right. He may have some brain injury but we shan't know for certain until he's out of the coma. He's a fighter for sure. You can go in and see him now." the doctor replied.

Slowly she moved towards the door of where Joey was 'sleeping'. She didn't know what to expect. She peered in through the transparent plastic window. He looked perfectly normal as if he was just sleeping beside me as he does every night. It didn't look like anything was wrong with him other than the wires protruding from his perfect body. Rachel pushed the door open and sat down on the chair beside him. He was lying motionless on the hard hospital bed. She looked at him. His eyes were closed, tranquillity masked his face. He looked perfectly normal. The door creaked as it opened and she gazed behind her. Ross, Chandler, Monica and Phoebe were all there, standing anxiously in the doorway of the hospital room. Rachel raised her arm, replaced his floppy streak of hair and gently stroked his cheek.


	3. Chapter Three

_Hey guys, I hope you like this chapter. I know it's been a long wait and I'm sorry. It's really hard to update due to me starting my GCSEs but I will, I assure you. The wait for chapter four won't be as long as the last. I shall hopefully be posting it within the next couple of days. I took a while on this chapter because I wanted it to be good so that you guys would feel it's been worth the wait. Has it? Please review, I always love the reviews people give me. They always make my day. Thank you so much for reading. I sincerely hope you enjoy this chapter :)_

**Chapter Three**

**'Baby'**

**Two weeks later...**

"Uh-oh."

"What's wrong?" Monica rushed over to where Rachel was standing, who was viewing the maternity clothes in Mom and Me. She slipped and fell as soon as she reached Rachel's side. "Aw, crap. Is that your?" Monica questioned when she rose tentatively to her feet. Rachel nodded slowly, trying to take it all in. She was having the baby.  
>"Oh my." Monica quickly gathered her thoughts, put her arm around Rachel's hunched shoulders and ushered her out of the shop after informing an assistant of Rachel's broken waters.<br>"Let's go home and get your things. We have time." Monica told her, trying to keep her composure.

"Mon! Mon! It's happening again! Oooooh! Ooooooh! ooooh!" Rachel bellowed through the apartment.  
>"I'm coming! I'm coming!" Monica shouted as she raced into the living room manoeuvring through the furniture with a cool towel in her hand and a glass of water in the other, madly slopping it all over the floor. She sat down beside Rachel at mopped at her sweaty brow. "Deep breathes, honey. Deep breathes. Come on, oooo. Oooo. Ooo. Ooo. Drink some water." she said while tipping the contents of the now nearly empty glass.<br>"Ooooo. Oooo. Ooo. Ooo. Ooooooooooo! It hurts! It huuuurts!"  
>"I know honey. Oh my god. Seriously, when is the ambulance going to be here?" Monica exclaimed.<br>"Let's go. Get in your car." Rachel demanded.  
>"They'll be here soon, it's fine. Remember deep breathes." Rachel grabbed Monica's flimsy tee-shirt and yelled:<br>"A child is consuming my insides. I need gas and air! I need painkillers! Get me to the hospital!"  
>"OK! OK! Let's go!" Monica grabbed Rachel's 'go bag' and helped the hefty woman off the sofa that was now moulded perfectly to her shape. "Breathe."<br>"Don't tell me what to do!" Rach shouted. A tear trickled down her blushed cheek.

Rachel burst through the hospital doors and shouted, "I'm having a baby! Get me a doctor! Oooooooooo, heee heee heee heee!"  
>"Calm down, young lady. We'll take you in now. Deep breathes." the tiny middle-aged woman said.<br>"Stop telling me to breathe! I know to breathe! Ooooooh!" Rachel yelled, fed up.  
>"I won't take that personally." she retorted, her greying hair flowing round her shoulders, while smiling at Monica and wheeling Rachel into the hospital ward.<p>

A different woman strolled in calmly to check in on Rachel,

"How are you feeling?" she started.  
>"How do you think I'm feeling? Huh?" Rachel snapped. "It just hurts you know." tears started to flow down her maroon cheeks.<br>"I don't even know why I'm crying." she continued.  
>The lady patted her shoulder and reassuringly said "Honey, it's fine. Let me just see how much you're dilated."<br>"M'kay." Rachel replied sullenly. All the while Monica was sitting down beside her looking at Rachel in a forlorn manner and grasping her shaking hand. She didn't like to see Rachel hurting, it upset her. Monica was Rachel's birthing partner as her Mother couldn't make it in time and Joey was still in a coma. It had been two weeks and he still hadn't awoken, his friends were worried for Rachel and his unborn child, and for him himself.  
>"Right, you're 2cm dilated. Shouldn't be too long hopefully." the doctor smiled kindly and walked out of the room.<p>

**Six hours later...**

"Right. Can you leave the room please, Monica? I need to talk to Rachel." the new doctor said.

"Sure." Monica nodded and shuffled out of the room, her heart started to thud violently in her chest. She knew something had to be wrong. It had been nearly seven hours and Rachel was only 5cm dilated.  
>"Rachel. I was having a chat with the other doctors." the new male doctor started, keeping firm eye contact throughout.<br>"Right, go on." Rachel replied nervously.  
>"Well, we've all agreed that it would be best for you and baby that you had a caesarean section. There have been some complications. Everything will be okay. I'm sorry." Rachel was trying to process the new information.<br>"We need to do so as soon as possible." he said trying to rush Rachel along.  
>"Okay. Do it. I don't want anything to happen to my baby." Rachel was shaking vigorously, terrified. 'The doctor said it would be fine' she said to herself over and over in her head. But she wasn't so sure, what sort of complications? He didn't say.<br>They got Rachel prepared and wheeled her out of the ward to the operating theatre.  
>"Where are you taking her?" Monica inquired as the doctors whizzed past.<br>"There have been some complications." came the only reply. Thank you nurse, that is such reassuring information she thought to herself.

Ross walked into Monica's apartment and saw that nobody wad home.  
>"Sweet, TV all to myself. Discovery here I come!" he said happily, although that wouldn't be for long. He was strolling over to the television when he slipped on some split water. An anxious feeling rippled through his stomach. "Uh-Oh!" Ross rushed into the spare bedroom where Rachel was staying while Joey was in hospital. Her 'go-bag' had gone. Ross picked up his phone and started to dial Monica's phone number. He sat down on her sofa nervously waiting for an answer but there was no reply. He rang Chandler next. Beep beep. Beep beep. Beep bee-<br>"Oh hey, Ross. What's up?" Chandler's strong voice echoed down the line.  
>"I thinks Rachel's gone into labour. Her go-bag has gone and there's some wierd watery substance on the floor." Ross replied. There was a pause.<br>"Damn. I'll leave for the hospital now. See you there."  
>"All right." he hung up. Ross called Phoebe and told her what he'd told Chandler previously.<p>

Monica paced rapidly up and down the corridor hoping that everything would be all right. She called them over an hour ago. Chandler, Phoebe and Ross all suddenly appeared in the start of the corridor.  
>"Monica!" Phoebe exclaimed from down the hall. Monica sprinted into their arms for a well needed hug. A few seconds later, Ross asked nervously<br>"Mon, where's Rachel? What's happening?" Ross asked nervously. Monica pulled back.  
>"There have been some... complications. I don't know what's happening. Nobody's telling me anything." a lone tear rolled down her left cheek.<br>"Oh my god. Is she?" Phoebe stammered.  
>"No, no, no. No. She's in surgery; Having an emergency c-section." Monica replied.<br>"Oh my god."  
>The doctor that was in the ward before shuffled down the corridor towards Monica and her friends.<br>"I'm so sorry."

_Hope you enjoyed it, updating very soon. Love y'all. Wow, never said that before... :p _


	4. Chapter Four

_Sorry for such a long delay – I've been super busy! I totally forgot, I've had it ready for a few weeks although it wasn't finished and edited. I'm sorry, I'll try to update more often. I had a Science mock exam yesterday. That was horrible! One and a half hours of science. Yeah, I don't like Science so much. I hope you enjoy this new chapter. I will continue with this story. Please review :)_

**Chapter Four**

Monica's creased mouth dropped open. "No!" she yelled as she collapsed to the floor in shock.  
>"No. No, No, No. No. No. She's not dead! She's not! She can't be!" Phoebe cried to the doctor in anger and pain waving her arms in the air dramatically.<br>"This can't be. No. She's not... is she?" Chandler murmured in disbelief.  
>"Oh my goodness! No! I'm terribly sorry for the implication." He assured Rachel's friends.<br>"Why would you do that to us?" Ross shouted at him madly scowling.  
>"I'm terribly sorry. But, you know, shall we get your friend conscious again?" asked the doctor. All the while, Monica had been splayed out on the floor; since she fainted from shock. Chandler looked down at Monica with worry while he was kneeling down beside her. The doctor took some smelling salts from his white coat and wafted them under Monica's nose.<br>"Huh? What? No." Monica said trying to gather her thoughts. Chandler helped to lift her onto the closest chair.  
>"Are you okay?" he asked.<br>"Do you think I'm okay? Do you? I've just been told my best friend is de-" tears streamed down her cheeks.  
>"She's not dead. The doctor's an idiot." Phoebe interrupted.<br>"She- she's alive?" Monica asked, hope spread on her face.  
>"That's the opposite to dead, baby. Yeah." Chandler replied sarcastically.<br>"Doctor? What's happened?" Ross inquired.  
>"Well, Rachel's unconscious still, she should wake up any minute. You might want to be there for her when she wakes up. She's been through a stressful day."<br>"And the baby? It's okay?" Phoebe asked.  
>"Yes. A perfectly healthy baby."<br>"Thank you so much!" Monica said gratefully.

They all walked together up to Rachel's room to see how she was doing. Monica clutching Chandler for support. Ross and Phoebe were hand in hand.

"Rach?" Monica's head peered round the door looking into the room.  
>"Oh hey Mon." Rachel replied wearily. Monica pushed open the door and sprinted over to her bed. Rachel grasped her in a happy embrace.<br>"I was so worried, Rachel. When they took you to the operating theatre I thought something serious had happened to you or the baby and they didn't tell me and... and..." Monica burst into tears all over again. By this time, the rest of her friends had entered the room.

"I know, honey. But we're fine." Rachel replied gesturing towards the tiny baby next to her bedside.  
>"Can I hold the baby?" Phoebe asked. Rachel shook her head.<br>"No. I want her Dad to hold her first. Well second, after me." she replied.  
>"We understand."Ross replied "Shall we go and see him?"<br>"Yes please." Rachel rose out of the bed tenderly touching her stomach. As she walked around the bed she clutched the back of her robe trying to preserve her dignity. Gently, she slid her hand underneath her baby's tiny head and lifted her up. Cradling her minute body Rachel gradually toddled across the room. She was afraid that she'd drop her baby.  
>As they left the room, Rachel was met by a nurse. "Can we?" she asked; implying to go and see Joey. She's been a regular to this hospital for weeks now while Joey was in a coma and everyone here knew her name and her story. The nurse nodded sympathetically, and Rachel smiled back at her gratefully. She didn't feel like talking today at all; she was so ecstatically happy but then at the same time she was forlorn. She missed Joey and didn't know when he would wake up... if he'd wake up. Rachel missed his cheeky grin and holding him and, well, everything really. She missed his presence the most, she just missed him being there when she woke up and when she went to sleep.<p>

They all walked into Joey's ward and up to his bed. Rachel leaned down and kissed him on the forehead. "Morning, Baby." She gently lay her baby on his clothed chest. Both Joey and baby were breathing in the same pattern. Like father like daughter. Rachel still had a firm protective hold just in case her baby fell. Tears started to roll down Rachel's plump cheeks as she looked down to the floor she heard something.  
>"Don't cry, baby." a warm familiar voice soothed. Rachel's head shot up. A hairy arm was on the baby.<br>"Joey?" came Rachel's reply.  
>"Yeah."<p> 


	5. Apologies

Hey. I am incredibly sorry guys. My laptop hasn't worked for months and all of my documents are on there so I can't continue with the chapters I have lined up to post. I implore you, don't give up on me. As soon as I get my new laptop in September I assure you, I will post lots of new chapters.


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